X-23
X-23, a.k.a. Laura Kinney, is a character from the X-Men Series. As a clone of Wolverine, she shares the same powers and fighting aptitude. Backstory Top-secret program is tasked to replicate the original Weapon X experiment that produced the feral mutant Wolverine. The project is taken in a new direction: Doctor Martin Sutter recruits renowned mutant geneticist Doctor Sarah Kinney to develop a clone of Wolverine. Since the only genetic sample from Weapon X is damaged, Kinney is unable to salvage the Y chromosome. Kinney proposes the creation of a female genetic twin; her request is denied. Sutter's protégé Doctor Zander Rice, whom he has raised after Rice's father was killed by the original Weapon X, is opposed to the idea. After 22 failed attempts at reconstituting the DNA using a duplicate X chromosome, the 23rd sample yields a viable sample to combine with an embryo. Although Kinney is allowed to proceed, Rice exacts revenge for her insubordination by forcing her to act as the surrogate mother of the specimen. For nine months, Kinney's every move is monitored; finally, she gives birth to "X-23". After seven years, Rice subjects X-23 to radiation poisoning in order to activate her mutant gene. He extracts her claws, coats them with adamantium, and reinserts them back into her hands and feet - a procedure performed without affording the child any anesthetic. Rice creates a "trigger scent" that drives X-23 into a murderous rage when she detects it. Kinney's niece Megan is abducted by a serial killer; she smuggles X-23 out of the facility to rescue the girl. X-23 tracks the abductor to his apartment, kills him, and frees Megan. Kinney is fired when she returns and is escorted off the base. Rice assigns X-23 to eliminate Sutter and his family; he orders her to keep it secret. However, the girl reveals to Sarah that Rice is responsible for the murders. Before Kinney leaves, Rice reveals a chamber containing the incubation pods for X-24 through X-50. Kinney drafts a letter to her daughter, assigning her a final mission: destroy the pods and kill Rice. X-23 succeeds and meets her mother; the two prepare to flee. However, prior to his death, Rice exposed Kinney to the trigger scent; X-23 goes into a murderous frenzy and kills her mother. As she lies dying, Kinney tells X-23 that her name is Laura and that she loves her, and hands her the letter and pictures of Charles Xavier, Wolverine, and the Xavier Institute. Target X After being arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, X-23 awakens bound and gagged in the company of Captain America and Matt Murdock, who proceed to interrogate her about her past. X-23 describes how she traveled to San Francisco and tracked down Megan and Debbie (her mother's sister). Introducing herself as Sarah's daughter, she moves in with them. Although Megan experiences vivid nightmares of her abduction, her family believes these to be utter fantasies. X-23 informs Megan that the man in her nightmares was indeed real and that she killed him. Debbie's boyfriend turns out to be an agent for the Facility who has been instructed to manipulate X-23 into killing Megan and Debbie using the trigger scent. However, the agent fumbles the assignment and is killed by X-23. Facility agents storm the house, led by the woman who served as X-23's handler, Kimura (Kimura abused X-23 in the facility and punished her even if the missions went according to plan). X-23 manages to get Megan and Debbie to safety by handcuffing Kimura to a radiator and then triggering an explosion in the house, buying some time. After X-23 and Megan part, X-23 decides to confront the man who made her creation possible - Wolverine. X-23 tracks Wolverine to Xavier's mansion and engages him in a battle, defeating him via tactics and maneuverability. However, she does not kill him. Instead, she tells him why she came. Wolverine reveals that he is aware of X-23's ordeal, having received a detailed letter from her mother. The talk is interrupted when Captain America comes to arrest Laura. Despite the mayhem in her past, Matt Murdock accepts X-23's innocence. Captain America wants X-23 to atone for the murders she has committed. However, he ultimately frees X-23 in order to avoid S.H.I.E.L.D.'s exploitation of her as their own weapon. New X-Men After the events of House of M and Decimation, X-23 was one of the few mutants to retain her powers. X-23, having previously left the institute off-panel, returns to the X-Mansion at Wolverine's insistence. Laura is assigned a room with fellow mutant student Sooraya Qadir. She begins to develop an attraction towards Julian Keller, aka Hellion, protecting him while participating in holographic combat simulations created for members of the student body by David Alleyne, formerly a mutant codenamed Prodigy. After Jay Guthrie appears bloodied and beaten on the doorstep of the institute, Emma Frost has the powered students compete in a free-for-all brawl, with those deemed to be the best performers assigned to a new team of trainee X-Men. Despite Frost's attempts to omit her, X-23 is among those students who excel during the exercise, and also receives unexpected aid from Hellion, whom Frost has instructed to take out X-23 from the battle first. She is placed on the team with Mercury, Dust, Hellion, Elixir, Rockslide, and team leader Surge by Cyclops, who defeats Frost's attempts to keep her off the team by pulling rank. As the depowered students and staff are leaving the school, their bus is bombed by anti-mutant religious zealot Reverend William Stryker. X-23 overhears Dust talking to Icarus, who had fled the Mansion. Dust intends to meet Jay, but Laura warns her that it's a trap, and takes Dust's place. Donning Dust's burqa, X-23 is shot upon arriving at Stryker's compound. Laura returns to the Mansion and singlehandedly kills three Purifiers who have incapacitated Surge, Hellion, and Emma Frost. When Surge receives a distress call from Forge, X-23 accompanies the New X-Men. Although the team disables the Nimrod unit, X-23 is grievously wounded and is unable to heal herself. In order to save X-23, Hellion convinces Emma Frost to unlock his telekinetic potential, increasing his powers (and thus, his speed) to a level thought impossible by a O.N.E. sentinel guard. This allows them to fly back to the mansion in time for Laura to be healed by Elixir. X-Force During the Messiah Complex story, X-23 becomes part of X-Force, a black ops team formed by Cyclops and led by Wolverine. Cyclops intends to keep the team a secret from other X-Men, and use them to permanently deal with threats to mutant-kind. X-23's inclusion angers Wolverine since it means she will become a killer once more, directly conflicting with his reasons for bringing her to the X-Men. Cyclops is forced to reveal the truth to his fellow X-Men during the Second Coming story arc, so that the X-Force can be sent to the future to deactivate the Master Mold which empowers the massive waves of Nimrods that Bastion sends after the team. After Bastion's destruction at the hands of Hope Summers, Wolverine dismisses X-23 from the team, telling her to set off on her own missions. She later joins the Avengers Academy. Powers * As a clone of Wolverine, has his powers such as a regenerative healing factor and animal senses. * Adamantium claws, just like Wolverine, except she has two on each hand and one on each foot. * Since she escaped before her full adamantium bonding process began, only her claws are coated with metal and as a result, at times, her regenerative healing factor is faster than Wolverine's (as adamantium generates toxins in his body that slow it down). Gameplay X-23's gameplay is very similar to Wolverine's, with all of her special attacks are loosely based on Wolverine's special attacks, and one hyper combo based on Wolverine's level 3 hyper. She lacks some of his attack power, but compensates that with her superior agility and mobility. Her rushing specials allows to keep opponents off balance with lightning-fast and almost unpredictable attacks. Overall, her playstyle in particular invokes an assassin theme in stark contrast to Wolverine's equally brutal, albeit less subtle berserker fighting style. Command Normals & Special Attacks * Neck Slicer: Performs a rush upward-aimed dash slash. Can be delayed. * Ankle Slicer: X-23 performs a dashing slash attack close to the ground. Can be delayed for OTG. * Decapitating Slice: '''She hops onto her opponent's back and slashes them once before hoping off to push them upward with her foot talons. Unblockable throw. Can be delayed to increase hopping distance.' * '''Crescent Scythe: '''Somersault kicks with her claws on foot. Ok during jump. * '''Talon Dive: Midair Command Normal. A diving claw attack that goes straight downward. * Talon Attack: She charges in midair either in a downwards diagonal kick or horizontal. Can be delayed and can be used to finish air combos. * Mirage Feint: X-23 leaps forward leaving afterimages. A/L version simply moves her forward. B/M version goes further and can pass through opponent. C/H version makes her leap upward. All versions are delayable and can be attacked with an attack, making it her main mixup/crossup tool. Assist Attacks Hyper Combos * Rage Trigger (Level 1): 'Performs two forward somersaults with all claws exposed and finishes with a reverse upward backflip. * 'Weapon X Prime (Level 1): 'Rushes forward. Upon connecting she performs several slashing moves, leaps behind the opponent, and finishes with one final slash. Resembles Wolverine's Weapon X Hyper Combo from previous vs. games. This attack has 60 frames of invulnerability, making it the most invincible Level 1 Hyper Combo in the entire game. * 'Silent Kill (Level 3): X-23 becomes invisible for a short time, flickering slightly when struck by enemy attacks. While invisible she can perform an unblockable attack on her opponent, appearing above them and stabbing them in the back of the head by pressing the Special button when in close range. X-Factor Changes in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 * Mid-air special attacks can be canceled into Talon Attack. * Crescent Scythe floats higher. * Decreased untechable time for opponents after a Crescent Scythe hit. * Rage Trigger causes opponent to fly further to the side. * Number of hits in Rage Trigger can be increased through rapid buttons presses. Theme Song Trailer Quotes * Already identified 17 ways to beat you. (intro) * You die, not my fault. (intro) * You don't wanna get hurt, do you? (intro) * You've already lost. (intro) * Let me know when the fight starts. (taunt) * Fight was over before it started. (match win) * Hmph. Amateur. (match win) * I cannot... Will not... Lose. (match win) * Piece of cake. (match win) * As you can see, these claws don't mess around. (Ultimate only) * I... I am not a weapon! * I cannot lose. I have people I must protect! * I didn't ask for this fight, but I am the one who ended it. * Maybe I'm not the best there is, but I'm pretty damned close. * Not so bad for a clone, huh? * The Facility created me to be a weapon. But I'm sure you've figured that out by now. (Ultimate only) * The simulations in the Danger Room are more dangerous than you. What a disappointment! Special Quotes * Enjoy those looks while you still got 'em. (intro) * I'm the second best at what I do. (intro) * Consider me a trash compactor... (intro) * Time to see if the student's become the master. (intro) * There's more than one way to skin a cat... (intro) * A lot of good that Iron Fist's going to do to you after I cut it off. (intro/Ultimate only) * Paws versus claws, huh? Claws win. (intro/Ultimate only) * I was gonna carve up your face but it looks like someone beat me to it. (intro/Ultimate only) * Not so pretty no more, are ya? (match win) * Get out of here...before I really get mad. (match win) * Your mutant-hunting days are over, junk pile. (match win) * So...who's the best there is again? (match win) * Scurry away now, little kitty. (match win) * Get a new act, dude. Kung-fu is so 70's. (match win/Ultimate only) * Now scurry into the woods, little fuzz ball. (match win/Ultimate only) * Some experiments are better than others, know what I mean? (match win/Ultimate only) * Who's your 'daddy' now? * I'd tell you to send my regards to Bolivar Trask. But you kinda can't in your present condition, huh? * So...any relation to Wolfbane? * Didn't much appreciate being called 'Wolverette.' * You too were created for a purpose you did not wish to fufill. You have my sympathy. * You were always nice to me, Storm. Sorry I had to mess you up like that. Trivia * X-23 was the first female Marvel character announced for Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. * She has alternate color schemes based on her New X-Men outfit, her Captain Universe outfit, and the cover of the first issue of her ongoing comic. For Ultimate, she gets color schemes based off her current black/gray costume and Age of Apocalypse Kirika. Her Ultimate pre-order DLC costume is her X-Men: Evolution debut appearance. * In tone with Wolverine's Catch Phrase, she has a similar one saying "I'm the second best at what I do", however she will only say this upon encountering a villain other than the Sentinel or Nemesis. * The locket she wears has pictures of her "mother" (Sarah Kinney, the scientist that gave birth to her) and of her "cousin" (Sarah's niece). * She was confirmed during the Tokyo Game Show 2010, along with Albert Wesker, Spider-Man and Tron Bonne. * In Marvel vs. Capcom 3, X-23 is voiced by Tara Strong, who voiced the character in Wolverine and the X-Men. * In one special conversation, she refers to herself as "the second best at what she does", a reference to Wolverine being "the best at what he does (and what he does isn't very nice)". * X-23's ending involves her having Galactus's unconscious body thrown into the dirt as she starts bragging to Wolverine, who asks her to get Galactus off of the lawn around the Xavier Institute. * The game and strategy guide lists X-23's comic debut (NYX #3, Feb 2004). However, the character originally debuted in the animated series X-Men: Evolution during Season 3 in 2002. She appeares in episodes 41: X23, 46: Target X, and 52: Ascension Part 2. Only the official US website cites this source. * X-23 is one of the few characters originally created for an animated series that was later incorperated into comic book canon. Other examples include Firestar (from Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends), Harley Quinn (from Batman: the Animated Series) and Terry McGinnis (the titular hero from Batman Beyond). * Also, X-23 is the only character from the Marvel side in any of the crossover games to not have been originated in print. * X-23 is considered Tron Bonne's rival, because they are both young females with criminal backgrounds that have helped out as heroines. The difference being that X-23's crimes were against her will, and she has reformed, while Tron is a career criminal by choice. ** In addition to the above, the two share an opposite relation, X-23 is a creation while Tron is a creator/inventor. * X-23's original artwork for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 resembles the pose she made in the Top Cow variant cover for issue #1 of the Target X comics. Artwork X-23 MvsC3-FTW.PNG|Original Marvel vs. Capcom 3 artwork. Colors37.JPG|Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 alternate costumes. x23650.jpg|X-23 Wallpaper. trailer6.jpg|X-23 battles Nemesis in the opening intro to UMvC3. Bda1c9c9754ce9a0b612d0dd60ac8a94.jpg|X-23 first appearance Dlc costume. a9c6c6c76a46c042f9bcb9e93ebdd320.png|X-23 Winning Pose. s x2300 bm nomip s x2300 bm nomipout.png|X-23 Full Victory Pose 431985 262252307188991 143032932444263 611541 815608437 n.jpg|Ultimate X-23 Wallpaper. x-23 1.png|umvc3 ending 1 x-23 2.png|umvc3 ending 2 Also See X-23's moves in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds X-23's moves in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 External Links * X-23 at Wikipedia * X-23 at Marvel Wiki * X-23 at Marvel Universe Wiki Category:X-23 Category:Marvel Characters Category:Characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds Category:Rushdown Characters Category:Characters in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 es:X-23 pt:X-23